Saturday, July 25, 2015

This week, I started a brand spanking new position at a
rather large children’s toys/games/entertainment company here in Los
Angeles.My role is the Head of U.S.
Human Resources.I truly believe that
this role was MEANT for me.From the
very first time I heard about it three months ago, I had a feeling.During my first phone screen, I had a
feeling.All the way through the
interview process, I had a feeling but kept focusing and hoping.Clearly, I’m a bit intuitive, but not usually
with specific regard to my own life.Anyway, I am blessed, grateful, and appreciative to have this amazing
opportunity.

This week was tough.I
want to already be the best performer ever – the downside of being a
perfectionist and straight A valedictorian.Oh yea, it’s called a severe over achiever, right.Got it!

It’s always overwhelming the first few weeks/months at any
new job.Going through this a few times
before, you would think that one might be accustomed to this entrance period,
but not so much.The feelings of
curiosity quickly shifted into feelings of frustration.It is very easy to objectively see the
challenges, issues, and battles for the future.There is sooo much work to be done and I know I can do it.Even saying that over and over didn’t seem
like enough.

This whole week, I received a great deal of encouragement
and support from my friends and family.Thank you all for that!And thank
you to those of you who would have commented if you had known.

Sometimes I wish I truly had a crystal ball to see my own
future.I wish, being a psychic, it
would be that easy, to no avail.This
gift, at least in my life and understanding, is for others who most need it.

Here’s the best I got today:

-Take it one day at a time.

-Slow your roll a bit.

-Take an extra beat prior to making major
decisions.

-Be curious and more curious and more curious.Stay curious even when frustration sets in.

2) I just booked a vacation to Iceland (with my new man) for my birthday this year in September. I haven't been on a vacation longer than two days in I don't know how long. So excited.
3) Kristen Bell is my hero of this week. Just saying. Watch the video here.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

WELCOME BACK!!!

The Secret and
Sacred Lotus Touts (or Good luck wishes) – Historically, you have six minutes to read and then
forward/share with as many others as possible.You know the drill, the more people you send it to, the more fortune, happiness,
and success you will achieve.We can all
use a bit more fortune, happiness, and success in our lives.

I have included
the Lotus Touts that register the absolute most with me. Enjoy!!

ONE.

Give people
more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO.

Marry a
man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversationalskills will be as important as any other.

THREE.

Don't believe
all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR.

When you say,
'I love you,' mean it.

FIVE.

When you say,
'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye..

SIX.

Believe in love
at first sight.

SEVEN.

Never laugh at
anyone's dreams.

People who
don't have dreams don't have much.

EIGHT.

Love deeply and
passionately.

You might get
hurt but it's the only way to live life completely

NINE.

In
disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

TEN.

Don't judge
people by their relatives.

ELEVEN.

Remember that
great love and great achievements involve great risk.

TWELVE.

When you lose,
don't lose the lesson.

THIRTEEN.

Don't let a
little dispute injure a great friendship.

FOURTEEN.

When you
realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

FIFTEEN.

Spend some time
alone.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

1) If you liked the above, quick...forward/share with your friends on FB, Twitter, Insta, whatever!!

2) I start my brand new job next week at Spin Master. I am very very very excited to be the new Head of U.S. Human Resources. Woohoo!

3) I had my first mediocre reading this week (which looking back, wasn't quite as bad as I thought). I have reflected and definitely learned the lessons and know what to do differently next time. Sometimes, I can be so hard on myself. I guess that's a good thing :/

4) My apologies that is has been two weeks since I last wrote a blog. I will do my best to ensure it does NOT happen again.

5) I have actually seen the Temple Below in real life. Pictures can only start to do it justice.

Friday, June 26, 2015

I remember where I was on November 18, 2003 when
Massachusetts declared a gay marriage ban unconstitutional.I was working at an insurance investigations
company sitting in my quaint office. At
the time, I was the token gay guy at that organization.After all, it was insurance
investigations.Anyway…no one in the
office seemed to understand the depth of my happiness and quest for equality,
but in time, they would.This was the
very first time I felt less than in life.Do you remember where you were?

November 4, 2008

I remember where I was on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 when
California voters adopted a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.I was at the Abbey in West Hollywood.We were all jumping for joy that Barack Obama
had just won the presidency, however, the next moment when the California
decision was announced, there was such a silent sound of devastation, it was
eerie.It was the second time I truly
felt I was a lesser equal.Do you
remember where you were?

June 26, 2013

I remember where I was on June 26, 2013 when the Supreme
Court ruled that the official proponents of Prop 8 lacked standing… and voila,
marriage equality had returned to California.I remember calling my parents in New Hampshire (literally, from the
toilet) and all of us crying together.Tears of happiness.Tears of
equality and tears of joy.It was still,
however, the third time in my life that I had felt a lesser human than those
around me.Simultaneously, it was one of
the most freeing moments of my life. It’s
a bit challenging to explain, but there it was. Do you remember where you were?

June 26, 2015

Today, I know exactly where I was when my mother left me the
most amazing voicemail with tears of glee and enthusiasm in her voice, stating
that I could get married in any damn state in the United States.I was in the arms of my new love, preparing
for the day.At that moment, I truly
felt equal for the first time in 12 years. It was a breathe of fresh air. Too bad I'm in the middle of an allergy attack and can barely breathe.Where were you this morning?

It has been a truly amazing journey.I want to personally thank everyone I know,
all the lawyers, #SCOTUS, (well, 5 of them anyway), my friends, and my family for
their unwavering support.We could not
have done this without you.

It has been an incredible day for social.#LoveWins; #LoveAlwaysWins; #SCOTUS; and
#All50.Now, I do feel equal in the eyes
of the law.Now, our journey continues
to shift the mentality of those individuals who might not yet agree with the
ruling of today, but will change in time.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Now, how about those Transgender Rights?We still need those!!

Love you all.In
amazing gratitude.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

1) I am happy to say that I have accepted a brand new BIG job. Next week, I will start the
transition to be
the Head of U.S. HR for a children’s entertainment/toy company.More to come…

Thursday, June 18, 2015

I wanted to share a more personal view into my life of late. Here are some recent moments that have made me feel alive!!

1) When my niece and nephew see me for the first time when I visit them. Now, they run to me and give me the biggest hugs. There is nothing else like that feeling in the world.

2) The day you realize you are ready for true love. This happened when I very recently fell back in love with a previous love in my life. Taking it day-by-day, but feeling the effects of contentment, happiness, and pure unconditional love. I feel blessed to have this new chapter in my life.

3) When you receive a call from an organization like the American Widow Project, whose vision is to provide vital support to military widows with programs that UNIFY, EDUCATE, EMPOWER, and assist in rebuilding their lives in the face of tragedy. They have asked me to facilitate workshops for them as a Bereavement/Grief Expert and Medium. Chills all over. So excited about this!! Amazing work! Absolutely incredible.

4) When the HATE of one overwhelms, overpowers, and clouds the LOVE of all others. The passion, the anger, and the shock that racism and inequality still exists within this human existence is such a mystery to me and makes me feel such a wide range of emotions. I don't even know what to say anymore.

5) The moment when you walk into your new home, realizing that there is no more harassment from former neighbors, no more police raids, no more concern about your tires being slashed, and a general sense of safety. It is peaceful, great energy, solid roomies, and makes me feel rich - even though I'm paying less now for a 3 bedroom condo, than I was for a one bedroom apartment. Woohoo!

I'm grateful tonight for my life. I'm grateful tonight for my family and for the amazing love in my life. Thank you, God.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

1) My heart and prayers go out to the families and the City of Charleston, South Carolina, where I have spent time myself. Again, I don't even know what to say anymore.
2) I'm excited to be spending some much needed time with my family on my East Coast Tour. That's what I call it when I visit as many relatives as possible within 4-5 days. Never a dull moment.
3) I am teaming up with other bereavement organizations as well. Lots to do. Lots to say. Did I mention I am being paid to do this?? Look out world, it's time!!
4) Remember today, the more grateful for your life, the more amazing things will be born.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Below, you will find Seven Ideas You Didn’t Know You Needed to Remember Today.

I always like to change it up a bit.So, today, I am reminding you of some pearls
of wisdom that you didn’t even know you needed to know and remember today.Here it goes.Enjoy…

I dedicate these thoughts to all of the Cat Lovers out there. Happy #HugYourCatDay!!

1 – Every morning is a new opportunity to create yourself
again.

2 – Every night is a great time to give thanks and be
grateful for your life, your health, and your happiness.

3 – You attract what you are every day, not what you
want.So, if you want to attract the
extraordinary, be extraordinary every single day.

4 – Everyone deserves a second chance.Sometimes even a third one.

5 – The most powerful losses in love are only just preparing
you for the most significant ones.

6 – Life is a series of disasters, disappointments, and detours. Thank you, God, for that. Appreciate every moment and turn those disasters into triumphs, turn those disappointments into technical experience, and turn the detours into trophy points.

7 – Instead of me, how about you come up with something we should all remember today? I'm interested to see what you can add to this list? List comments below or email me!!

FINAL THOUGHTS:

1) Finally put some pictures up and hung some
curtains in my new bedroom.OMG.I finally live here now. I'm thankful for my apartment every day.

2) #CaitlynJenner – I have a lot of feelings about this, but GOD bless her! She inspires!

3) My website will be launching soon with a cute little video where I'm giving away a fun prize!!

4) #MyTherapistAdvised that I might not need her
anymore.I’m still trying to figure out
how that makes me feel.Is she dumping
me?Or am I ready?

Friday, May 29, 2015

Here's an excerpt from my "talk" earlier this week when speaking about reducing the stigma around Mental Health at #CommerceLibrary, presented/sponsored by #ProjectReturn.

Most of you probably don't know, but when I was 8 years old, I was diagnosed with a Severe Learning Disability.I spent the better part of
one year in Special Ed classes. This was before the times of positive reinforcement and empowering the child to excel. Nope, instead, these ladies told me exactly like it was.

They told me I would be lucky to graduate from high school and I would most likely never go to college. You know what I did? I graduated high school in 3 years, was valedictorian of my class, and went to a 4-year liberal arts college, Sarah Lawrence College where I studied Performing Arts and Languages. Speaking of languages, I wanted to travel the world even when I was 8 years old. They told me I needed to perfect English prior to learning any other languages. You know what I did? I spent my junior year abroad in Ecuador, learning fluent Spanish, and continuing my studies in French, Italian, and later learned Portuguese.

I wanted to work in a fancy office building in downtown Boston, just like my dad. They laughed at me. You know what I do know? I am the Senior Director of Human Resources at a Social Media agency. Next, I'll be gunning for a global VP role at a multinational corporation.

My learning disability was such that I could not structure a story appropriately in a sequential and chronological order. At 8 years old, I wanted to write children's books. I was and still am obsessed with children's books. They told me I would NEVER ever be an author, so what did I do? I have authored one book, writing two currently, and have 9 more in my
mind.

You see...I had two options with my diagnosis. I could let it DEFINE me or I could DEFY it!

(Then I spoke about some FAMOUS FAILURES... Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, and Lionel Messi.)

For example, Lionel Messi, the famous footballer. At 11 years old, he was cut from the soccer team because he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, which kept him unusually smaller in stature than others. This did not destroy him, or hinder him in any way. Nope, instead, it empowered him to challenge everything and move on to win 3 FIFA World Championships. Those Famous Failures defied all odds and circumstances.

A diagnosis is just one piece of the pie and one tiny piece of who you are. I believe a diagnosis can be a gift.
It's a gift because you are well aware of your weaknesses. Hell, all of us are aware of our weaknesses. Now, my question to you
is what are your STRENGTHS? How do you outshine everyone else? What sets you apart from all of the rest? Focus on those questions. Find those answers.

Remember, you can do whatever you want in this life!Blow those naysayers away! Blow their fucking socks off! Exceed
their wildest expectations of you!

Do you know that YOU are here for a much bigger purpose than you could possibly
imagine?

My challenge for you is to lead by example, be unbreakable, never give up, and constantly empower and inspire others to know better, be better, and do better! That is my challenge for you!

I’ll leave you with
this quote from Dr. Wayne Dwyer:

You attract what you are, not what you want. (Repeat to yourself as needed)

By all means, if you want to attract silence and peace. Be silent and peaceful.

But if you want to attract the AMAZING, the EXTRAORDINARY, and the INCREDIBLE, then be AMAZING, EXTRAORDINARY, and INCREDIBLE.

On this Earth, you are the master of your own fate! You
define you - no one else.So, the next time someone
tells you you can’t do something.You
turn right around and say, WATCH ME!

FINAL THOUGHTS:

1) My "talk" above went very very well. I will have a video for the above talk in the near future.

2) Have you heard about this #DBirthdayConcert in the Philippines? Amazing!
3) Why didn't anyone tell me it was #NationalBiscuitDay today. Damn!
4) Take one minute for yourself today. Stare out a window or walk outside and take three deep breaths and be thankful you are alive.